The Red Sea Project

The Red Sea
البحر الأحمر (Arabic)
Tourism destination
The Red Sea is located in Saudi Arabia
The Red Sea
The Red Sea
Coordinates: 25°30′18″N 36°57′18″E / 25.50500°N 36.95500°E / 25.50500; 36.95500
ProvinceTabuk Province
CountrySaudi Arabia
Body of waterRed Sea
Announced31 July 2017; 7 years ago (2017-07-31)
Government
 • CEOJohn Pagano[1]
Area
 • Total
28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+03 (Arabian Standard Time)
DeveloperRed Sea Global
Websitewww.visitredsea.com/en/

The Red Sea Project (Arabic: مشروع البحر الأحمر), simply referred to as The Red Sea (Arabic: البحر الأحمر), is a tourism megaproject under construction in the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The project, which is developed by Public Investment Fund-owned Red Sea Global, forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program.[2] The project was announced by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in July 2017.

On completion in 2030, The Red Sea aims to have 50 hotels with 8,000 rooms, and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.[3]

Location

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The Red Sea seen from the Ummahat Islands archipelago

The project is located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia in a 28,000 km2 area in Tabuk province between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh. The area includes more than 90 unspoiled offshore islands, 200km of coastline on the Red Sea, beaches, desert, mountains and volcanoes.[3] This also incorporates the Al Wajh lagoon, a pristine 2,081 km2 area that includes valuable habitats (coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves) and species of global conservation importance.[4]

History

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The project was announced by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in July 2017 as part one of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 projects to diversify the Saudi economy away from fossil fuels. The project is developed by Red Sea Global, one of the various companies founded by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.[5]

Construction began at The Red Sea in February 2019[6] and was expected to be completed by 2030.[7] The first three hotels were expected to open in 2023,[8] while 16 hotels, the Red Sea International Airport, a yachting marina, historical sites and recreation centers were expected to open in 2024.[9]

In November 2023, The Red Sea Project's first destination, Six Senses Southern Dunes, was opened for guests.[10]

In January 2024, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts opened The Red Sea Project's second destination, and its first island resort, in the Ummahat Islands archipelago.[11] The following May, the Ummahat Islands welcomed its second hotel, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.[12]

In October 2024, Red Sea Global announced the opening of Shebara Resort the following November, making it the project’s fourth destination to start welcoming visitors.[13]

In December 2024, Desert Rock Resort became the second inland and the fifth overall destination to open its doors to guests.[14]

Destinations

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The Red Sea Project consists of 5 tourist destinations as of 2024. Two of the destinations, Southern Dunes and Desert Rock, are located inland. The other three destinations are located on 3 of the 92-island archipelago.

Shura Island

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Concept of Coral Bloom project on Shura Island

Shura Island, also known as Shurayrah Island, is the hub island of The Red Sea Project.[15] The island is home to Coral Bloom, the project's most ambitious construction project. Coral Bloom was launched in February 2021 by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.[16] The project is designed by London-based architecture firm Foster + Partners.[17]

The island will host 11 hotels from various brands, including Hyatt, Fairmont, InterContinental, Rosewood, Jumeirah, Faena, Raffles, Miraval, Edition, and SLS.[18][19] In addition, it will include Shura Links, Saudi Arabia's first 18-hole golf course and clubhouse.[20] The 7,500 yard course was designed by Brian Curley, with the clubhouse designed by Foster + Partners and is expected to open in 2025.[21]

Shura is linked to the mainland by Saudi Arabia's longest water bridge, which stretches a total of 1.2 km.[22] The bridge was designed and constructed by Athens-based construction firm Archirodon.[23]

In October 2023, Red Sea Global signed a $533 million deal with Kingdom Holding Company to open a Four Seasons resort on the island. The hotel is expected to open in early 2025.[24]

Ummahat Islands

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St. Regis Red Sea Resort located on the Ummahat Islands archipelago

The Ummahat Islands archipelago, also known as Ummhat Alshaikh Islands,[25] hosts both St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve. Both are accessible via a seaplane or a chartered boat.[26]

The St. Regis Red Sea Resort was the first island destination to start welcoming guest in the Red Sea Project in January 2024.[27] The 90-key resort was designed by Kengo Kuma.[28]

The 63-key Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, opened in May 2024 as the most expensive hotel in the Middle East, costing around $3,431 a night.[29][30] It is the seventh Ritz-Carlton property within the Reserve sub-brand and the first to be located in the Middle East. The Reserve has 63 luxury villas, each with a sea view private pool.[31] Nujuma was designed by Foster + Partners.[32]

Sheybarah Island

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The island is home to Shebara Resort, a 73-room luxury hotel that is managed by a hotel brand created by Red Sea Global named "Shebara".[33] The resort consists of overwater reflective stainless steel villas made in the shape of orbs, designed by Dubai-based architecture firm Killa Design.[34] The resort opened its doors in November 2024.[35]

The 150-ton villas were created by Grankraft in Sharjah, then transported to the island and installed by Mammoet.[36][37]

Southern Dunes

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Six Senses Southern Dunes is an inland resort located in Alnesai desert, almost a 100 km northeast of the town of Umluj. The resort includes 40 villas and a 36-room hotel complex. Southern Dunes was the first Red Sea Project destination to start welcoming visitors in November 2023.[38]

Southern Dunes was designed by Foster + Partners.[39]

Desert Rock

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Desert Rock is a 60-key inland luxury resort of villas and hotel rooms built into granite mountains.[40] The resort officially opened bookings starting from 11 December 2024.[41]

Desert Rock was designed by Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture.[42]

Transportation

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Exclusive sky blue Lucid Air electric vehicle used to transport visitors from the Red Sea International Airport to their destinations

The Red Sea Project can be accessed via the Red Sea International Airport, a dedicated airport set to be fully completed in 2025.[43] The airport received its first flight in September 2023 by Saudia from King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh.[44] The first international flight to the airport was by flydubai from Dubai International Airport in April 2024.[45] The airport, whose curved design is inspired by sand dunes, was designed by Foster + Partners.[46]

Upon arrival to the airport, Lucid Air electric vehicles are used to transport visitors to their destinations.[47] Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, owns over 60% stake at Lucid Motors.[48] The Red Sea Project includes Saudi Arabia's largest off-grid charging network, which has 150 charging stations to serve its initial fleet of 80 Lucid Air and Mercedes-Benz EQS EVs.[49] A 400-MW solar microgrid with 1.3 GWh battery is being built to supply the area.[50]

Some island sites, such as Ummahat islands, are only accessible via yachts and seaplanes. Red Sea Global established Saudi Arabia's first seaplane company, Fly Red Sea, that will transport visitors to the islands using an initial fleet of 4 Cessna Caravan 208 seaplanes.[51]

Promotion

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In March 2024, famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo, which at the time was a player for the Saudi team Al Nassr, visited St. Regis Red Sea Resort in the Red Sea destination. Ronaldo promoted the destination on his Instagram account, which at the time had more the 600 million followers.[52] The following June, he visited Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, shortly after it started welcoming visitors.[53]

In April 2024, Red Sea Global announced a collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery to produce a documentary titled "Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals".[54]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Beyond Sustainability: John Pagano". The CEO Magazine. 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  2. ^ "Construction underway on Red Sea project site". Saudigazette. 2019-02-27. Archived from the original on 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  3. ^ a b "Inside Saudi Arabia's Red Sea: Everything you need to know". Arabian Business. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  4. ^ Chalastani, Vasiliki I.; Manetos, Panos; Al-Suwailem, Abdulaziz M.; Hale, Jason A.; Vijayan, Abhishekh P.; Pagano, John; Williamson, Ian; Henshaw, Scott D.; Albaseet, Raed; Butt, Faisal; Brainard, Russell E.; Coccossis, Harry; Tsoukala, Vasiliki K.; Duarte, Carlos M. (2020). "Reconciling Tourism Development and Conservation Outcomes Through Marine Spatial Planning for a Saudi Giga-Project in the Red Sea (The Red Sea Project, Vision 2030)". Frontiers in Marine Science. 7. doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00168. hdl:10754/662629.
  5. ^ "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince announces the launch of The Red Sea Project as an international tourist destination as part of the Kingdom's 2030 Vision". pif.gov.sa. Public Investment Fund. 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Bea (2019-02-28). "Construction begins on The Red Sea Project". Blooloop. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  7. ^ Bridge, Sam. "Red Sea Project set to add $5.8bn to Saudi Arabia's GDP". ArabianBusiness.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  8. ^ "Phase I of Red Sea Project 50% complete: Official". ArgaamPlus. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  9. ^ "Inside Saudi Arabia's Red Sea: Everything you need to know". Arabian Business. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  10. ^ Mansuri, Misbaah (2023-11-02). "Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea officially opens in Saudi Arabia". Hotelier. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  11. ^ "The St. Regis Red Sea Resort Debuts in Saudi Arabia". Luxury Travel Advisor. 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  12. ^ Schlappig, Ben (2024-05-24). "Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve In Saudi Arabia's Red Sea". One Mile at a Time. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  13. ^ Hasan, Safa (2024-10-29). "Saudi's Shebara Resort opens in November, villas from US$2,396 a night". Hotelier Middle East. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  14. ^ Abi Farraj, Yara (2024-12-11). "Red Sea Global's Desert Rock resort opens doors to guests". Economy Middle East. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  15. ^ "Everything you need to know about Red Sea Global's Shura Island". Fact Magazine. 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  16. ^ "TRSDC launches 'Coral Bloom' at Red Sea Project". blooloop. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  17. ^ "saudi arabia's red sea project shares six-year progress on shura island by foster + partners". designboom.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  18. ^ "Red Sea Global expects 11 hotels on Shura Island to open in 2025". Zawya. 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  19. ^ "Shura Island". redseaglobal.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  20. ^ Fatima, Sakina (2024-05-06). "Saudi Arabia to open unique golf destination 'Shura Links' in 2025". Siasat. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  21. ^ "Red Sea Global unveils Shura Links golf course designs". Arab News. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  22. ^ "TRSDC completes construction of Shurayrah, longest water bridge in Saudi Arabia". Saudi Gazette. 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  23. ^ "Shurayrah Bridge, Red Sea Development". e-architect. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  24. ^ "RSG signs $533m deal with KHC to develop Four Seasons Resort Red Sea, unveils new private island destination". Arab News. 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  25. ^ Wael, Ragya (2023-12-29). "Ummhat Alshaikh Island: Gateway to Heavenly Summer Vacation". Leaders MENA. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  26. ^ Chilton, Nicola (2023-03-16). "The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia". Time. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  27. ^ "St. Regis Red Sea Resort". Hospitality Net. 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  28. ^ Baldwin, Eric (2021-03-03). "Kengo Kuma Designs Luxury Villas for Red Sea Project in Saudi Arabia". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  29. ^ Corder, Josh (2024-03-14). "Ritz Carlton in Saudi Set to Be Most Expensive Hotel in the Middle East". Skift. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  30. ^ "Saudi Red Sea's Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve now open for bookings". Arabian Business. 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  31. ^ "Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve: A New Jewel in the Crown of Luxury Tourism". ELMENS. 2024-05-07. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  32. ^ O'Neill, Jane (2022-05-28). "Foster + Partners are behind The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Red Sea Project's first branded residences". Commercial Interior Design. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  33. ^ Corder, Josh (2023-11-06). "Red Sea Global Creates Own Luxury Hotel Group Called Shebara". Skift. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  34. ^ "red sea project update: watch killa design's sheybarah island villas take shape in saudi arabia". designboom.com. designboom. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  35. ^ "Shebara Resort to open in November 2024, promising luxury and sustainability at The Red Sea". Saudi Gazette. 2024-10-28. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  36. ^ Alomar, Dana (2023-03-23). "How Saudi developer TRSDC is turning Sheybarah Island into an iconic resort". Arab News. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  37. ^ "First overwater villa installed at The Red Sea's Sheybarah Island Resort". Zawya. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  38. ^ "Six Senses Southern Dunes opens in Saudi Arabia". Zawya. 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  39. ^ Ravenscroft, Tom (2021-02-23). "Foster + Partners' hotel to be built amongst Saudi Arabian sand dunes". Dazeen. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  40. ^ "Saudi Arabia's luxury Desert Rock resort is 50% complete – Red Sea Global". Zawya. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  41. ^ "Bookings open for 'Desert Rock' - Saudi Arabia's hotel in a mountain". Gulf News. 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  42. ^ "RED SEA SHARES DESERT ROCK CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS". Design Boom. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  43. ^ Turner, Kathleen (2024-03-30). "Red Sea International Welcomes Overseas Flights Serving New Resorts". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  44. ^ Mitchell, Bea (2023-09-22). "Red Sea Global marks first flight to new international airport". blooloop. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  45. ^ Corder, Josh (2024-03-29). "Flydubai Launches Flights to Saudi's The Red Sea – $850 Round Trip". Skift. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  46. ^ "Drone video reveals construction progress on Saudi airport by Foster + Partners". Dazeen. 2023-08-08. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  47. ^ Amariei, Florin (2023-09-23). "Teal Lucid Air Is Red Sea International Airport's Official Shuttle". autoevolution. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  48. ^ "EV maker Lucid to raise $3 billion, mainly from Saudi's PIF". Reuters. 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  49. ^ "RSG establishes Saudi Arabia's largest off-grid EV charging network". Arab News. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  50. ^ "Saudi Arabia is building world's largest solar-storage microgrid". 21 August 2024.
  51. ^ Kamel, Deena (2023-10-12). "Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Global launches seaplane company to ferry visitors between resorts". The National News. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  52. ^ Corder, Josh (2024-03-20). "Cristiano Ronaldo Visits Saudi Arabia's The Red Sea". Skift. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  53. ^ "Georgina Rodriguez shares family holiday photos from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea". Arab News. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  54. ^ Coates, Charlotte (2024-04-17). "Red Sea Global collaborates with Warner Bros. Discovery on coral documentary". blooloop. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
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